Since 2012, the message board PubPeer has served as a sort of 4chan for science, allowing anyone to post anonymous comments on scientific studies. Originally intended as a forum for the discussion of methods and results, PubPeer has perhaps become best known as a clearinghouse for accusations of scientific error, fraud, and misconduct—forcing journals to issue corrections and retractions, damaging careers, and eventually embroiling the site in a court case in which it’s advised by Edward Snowden’s legal team at the American Civil Liberties Union.

In the view of its critics, PubPeer enables an unchecked stream of accusations with no accountability. But to its supporters, PubPeer is maybe the only consistently effective way to expose fraud and error in the current scientific system. It exists at a time of quiet crisis for science and science journals, when the community is concerned about an inability to replicate past results—the so-called “reproducibility crisis”—and the number of papers retracted is on the rise. The traditional system of peer review seems unable to address these problems.

“We started it because we wanted more detailed arguments about science, and we were really shocked at how many fundamental problems there are with papers, involving very questionable research practices and rather obvious misconduct,” said Brandon Stell, a neuroscientist at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris and the creator of PubPeer.

There’s certainly no denying its effect. According to Retraction Watch, a blog that monitors scientific corrections, errors, and fraud, at least three high-profile scientists in the past few months have had their studies retracted by journals after their data was questioned by anonymous commenters on PubPeer.

The most frightening words a researcher could read on PubPeer are 'There are concerns'

One of the scientists, Fazlul Sarkar, is currently suing several of the commenters. His lawyers argue the site must reveal the identities of the users that have done damage to Sarkar’s career, after he lost a tenured position at the University of Mississippi. PubPeer has refused to release the information. Both Google and Twitter have filed a court brief in support of the site, which is currently being defended pro-bono by lawyers from the ACLU.

It’s perhaps the most interesting case about internet privacy you've never heard of, and it all stems from a frustration among scientists with the shadowy politics of publishing and peer review.

At its base, PubPeer is a site that allows anyone to post comments on any scientific paper listed on the federally-funded PubMed database, either anonymously or under their own name. It’s functionally very simple, but the built-in anonymity makes it a safe outlet for scientists—especially young, early-career scientists—to discuss and criticize research without fear of repercussion. And that’s something they’re apparently eager to do: The site has logged over 55,000 mostly anonymous comments since its launch.

Back in October 2013, someone on the PubPeer site started threads for about 20 previously published papers on which Fazlul Sarkar, a cancer researcher then at Wayne State University in Michigan, was an author. The papers span over a decade and involve a variety of complex molecular signalling pathways involved in cancer. The issues raised by the comments, though, were relatively straightforward: They claimed that images in these studies appeared to have been changed, duplicated, and re-used across papers, suggesting that the experiments they appeared in may have never actually happened, or could have produced different results.

Stell noted that, in an effort to keep the discussion civil (and legal), PubPeer specifically requests that users do not accuse authors outright of misrepresentation or fraud. Comments are moderated in case they break these guidelines, so any discussion of such allegations tends to have a muted tone.

That doesn’t make this group of self-appointed watchdogs any less effective, though. The most frightening words a researcher could read on PubPeer are “There are concerns.”

Discussion over “concerns” surrounding Sarkar’s work expanded rapidly as it became clear the commenters had found a rich vein to mine: According to the NIH funding database and PubMed, Sarkar has received more than $12 million in NIH funding and authored over 500 research papers over his career. The community is nothing if not meticulous—PubPeer commenters have been known to pull up decades-old PhD theses looking for dirt—and a search of the message board shows that eventually 77 papers with Sarkar on the author list were presented for scrutiny. By checking the papers against each other patterns began to emerge; for example, one user claims a single set of images were duplicated up to 54 times in 13 papers, across three years.

First-year college students go through a lot of growing pains as they face new challenges and opportunities. As they figure out which major to choose, learn how to juggle work and school and just live on their own for the first time, scam artists lie in wait hoping the students make a mistake.

First-year college students are exposed to all kinds of new possibilities, which make them vulnerable to scam artists who make attempts to take advantage of their lack of life experiences.

Accommodation scams: Rental owners are supposedly governed by strict controls over the conditions in which they maintain their properties. However, there are unscrupulous landlords who don’t play by the rules. You want to make sure you actually go to the property before putting any money down, and make sure you’re getting what you expected.

Non-existent rentals: They take your downpayment, and when you arrive, the person you gave the money to doesn’t even own the property, or the property doesn’t exist. Before providing any form of payment, visit the property and research the property management company by going to bbb.org.

Finding a place to work: If the job you’re looking at involves door-to-door selling, such as selling magazines, cleaning supplies, handyman work or even raising money for charity, you want to make sure you check the company out before you begin working for them. In some cases, the product doesn’t exist, the charity is bogus or the handyman really doesn’t do the work you’re selling, which means you’re not likely going to get paid.

Fake initial checks: Steer clear from any job that sends you a check to deposit, then wants you to wire funds or put funds to a prepaid card. The problem is, the check is fake or it might be a forged check from an actual bank account (but not from the company on the check), and you could be charged with money laundering if you cash it.

Paying for school: Be on the lookout for phony scholarships and grants. These people are just trying to get your account information to wipe it out, not to deposit money for school as they claim.

Paying for anything: Some identity thieves set up fake credit card application booths luring students to give away very personal information in exchange for a T-shirt or an umbrella or something like that. It’s basically an easy way to steal information. If you want to get a credit card, go to the bank and apply for one.

Unsecured Wi-Fi hotspot: Using Wi-Fi on an unsecured network puts you at risk for identity theft. A lot of students use public places to study. Make sure you use encryption software and password protection to block identity thieves when doing homework in these Wi-Fi hotspots, and do not log onto your bank account or other sites that contain personal information.

For more tips on how to be a savvy consumer, go to bbb.org. To report fraudulent activity or unscrupulous business practices, please call the BBB Hotline: 903-581-8373 or use BBB Scam Tracker.

Large public-interest entities (listed companies, banks, insurance undertakings and other companies that are so designated by Member States) with more than 500 employees should disclose in their management report relevant and useful information on their policies, main risks and outcomes relating to at least

- environmental matters,

- social and employee aspects,

- respect for human rights,

- anticorruption and bribery issues, and

- diversity in their board of directors.

There is significant flexibility for companies to disclose relevant information (including reporting in a separate report), as well as they may rely on international, European or national guidelines (e.g. the UN Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, ISO 26000, etc.).

T. Barnum is credited for giving us the adage: A sucker is born every day. In fact, it does not have to be April Fool’s Day for both sides of the deal (the fool and the fooled) to sprout like mushrooms after the thunderstorm. And since April brings both rain and brain-drain, it is quite appropriate that it is also Financial Literacy Month. The Financial industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) provides five tips to inform investors on how to protect their money from fraudsters.

Gerry Walsh, the Senior VP of Investor Education at FINRA, said, “April Fool’s Day comes only once a year when people play on each other for fun. But fraudsters go about their practice all-year-round to fool people out of serious money; and, to really begin having fun and keep your money as well, make sure we know how to become more informed investors.”

Here are some tips:

Get to know the people you transact with. Be very choosy when it comes to picking a financial advisor, clearly explaining your financial goals and requirements, the types of individuals or firms you can feel you are comfortable working with. Get referrals from your associates and friends and do the dirty job of interviewing a chosen few you believe will satisfy your standards. Ask as many questions as you can: for example, if they have had experience dealing with people who have similar needs as yours; do some background investigations; ask how they want to be paid and if they charge other fees and additional expenses for doing certain related tasks. Make sure you work only with people who are duly registered and also look up their employment and regulatory track records. To facilitate this step, you can do a quick and easy check with BrokerCheck® for free.

Learn how to collaborate effectively with your financial advisor. Be honest and transparent about your investment goals and the risk level you can handle. Do an in-depth study before entering into an investment contract. Keep in mind that reading the sales brochures or promotional materials is not enough. Strive to gain a full comprehension of the investment or strategy by inquiring about all possible benefits and risks—as well as how the investment will work out to obtain your objectives. Always keep a watchful eye on your account, as well as on fees, statements of account and transaction validations. Be careful of sales pitches that contain unrealistic promises about productivity or guaranteed profits.

Learn the various kinds of investments and how they can help you attain your financial objectives. Each type possesses its own unique features, liquidity, costs, risk levels and use. Consequently, inquire about these aspects and think of how you can combine them effectively to maximize rewards. You can accomplish this task by assuring that you have a working knowledge about bonds, stocks, bank products, investment funds and others for specific uses, such as college or retirement savings. Always read first and comprehend everything you can about a product’s features and requirements before investing in it or signing a contract.

Watch out for danger signs pointing to fraudulent deals. In particular, take note of too consistent profits, guarantees, intricate schemes, unregistered products, incomplete records, account inconsistencies and very persistent sales personnel. Most financial advisors can be trusted; still, you might encounter a few who will abuse your trust upon them. Learn how to determine how con artists work in their game and keep a healthy dose of skepticism.

Never be shy about asking questions. In case you forgot the last tip we mentioned, recite this mantra as if you were home alone like Macaulay Culkin: This is MY MONEY and I will protect it with all my life! Do not bother about how others may think of you because every question you have is a valid inquiry of a person who wants to learn. Ask how a product works, what bad thing can happen to it, how much it can make at the most, if it is a duly-registered product, if you can sell it readily and at any time, how does a seller make money, and others. If any of your queries are not satisfactorily answered, simply say "No". Only a fool risks his or her money without the proper assurances.

For more information on investments and the latest Investor Alerts, sign up for Investor News.

Interested investors can get more information on the disciplinary record of any FINRA-registered broker or brokerage company by utilizing FINRA's BrokerCheck for free. In 2015, as many as 71 million reviews of broker or firm records were conducted using this free service. Investors can access BrokerCheck by visiting www.finra.org/brokercheck or by calling (800) 289-9999. Investors can browse the site to obtain copies of disciplinary actions and her disciplinary records in FINRA's Disciplinary Actions Online database. They can also get in touch with FINRA's Securities Helpline for Seniors at (844) 57-HELPS for further assistance or to make inquiries about any concern they have with their investments and brokerage accounts.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is recognized as the biggest independent securities regulation agency for all firms operating in the United States. FINRA commits to safeguard the interests of the investor as well as the integrity of the securities market through efficient regulation and appurtenant compliance and technology-based systems. FINRA covers substantially every aspect of the securities market – beginning with registration and education of all industry players to evaluation of securities companies, writing regulations, enforcement of such regulations and the federal securities laws, and the education of the investing public in general. Moreover, FINRA conducts investigations and other regulatory tasks for equities and options markets, including trade updates and other related industry services. Finally, FINRA serves as the main administrator for resolutions of disputes for investors and securities firms.

It's important to know what you want to accomplish with your investments before you actually invest. For example, you might want to purchase a home, fund a child's college education or build an adequate retirement nest egg. If you set financial goals at the outset—you are more likely to reach them.

You also want to get a handle on basic finances such as how much money is coming in and going out. This will help you control spending and manage debt. Most importantly, it will help you methodically save and invest, which is essential to building your net worth.

Use the information below to help you establish and meet your financial goals.